Saratoga Film Forum wants to know what it can do to stay relevant; public discussion rescheduled for Wednesday

By CAITLIN MORRIS

Saturday, March 23, 2013

SARATOGA SPRINGS -- As the skeleton of a new movie theater rises on Railroad Place, Saratoga Film Forum is open to discussing its mission and future role in the community.

The board of the Film Forum will host a town hall-style meeting at 7 p.m. Wednesday in Dee Sarno Theater at the Arts Center at 320 Broadway. The meeting was originally scheduled for March 19 but was postponed because of snow.

This moderated meeting will be a public discussion of the future of the Film Forum in the age of pay-per-view and online movies, as well as the 19 screens Bow Tie Cinemas plans to bring to Saratoga Springs and Wilton Mall in the near future.

"This presents a significant challenge and maybe a great opportunity to revisit our mission," Film Forum President Amy Godine said.

Jay Portnoy, vice president of the Film Forum, said there is a possibility the organization and Bow Tie could work out some type of mutually beneficial arrangement, but it is too early to say.

"What's the best niche for us since we can't compete directly with them?" is one of the questions Portnoy said Wednesday's meeting will address.

Godine also wants to discuss what the Film Forum can do that is different and valuable to the community. She added that she thinks Bow Tie's arrival in Saratoga Springs is a "wonderful thing."

Saratoga Film Forum says it aims to offer viewers an experience that mainstream movie theaters can't, including the opportunity to discuss the film with fellow moviegoers and enjoy complementary panels, lectures and concerts. The forum engages audience members and welcomes feedback from the community.

Godine said the Film Forum has stepped up audience engagement and discussions in recent years because those events have been so popular with the public.

Over the past several weeks, Portnoy said, moviegoers have completed questionnaires about what they would like to get out of the Film Forum experience. He said those questionnaires have shed light on what areas attendees are interested in and will guide Godine's opening remarks at Wednesday's meeting.

"We are trying to gauge the extent that people would like us to continue with the forum," Portnoy said. "We are researching our mission."

Godine said the Film Forum is a popular, well-liked community asset, but unless that "translates into support," like increased membership, donations and attendance, forum officials will have to be realistic about what they can afford to offer. The forum faces a vast financial challenge because, in general, it doesn't make back at the door the money it puts into the operation.

"Before that, though, it's a mission discussion that has to come first," Godine said. "We can't speak for our members and our public -- they have to tell us."

She said perhaps the most important question the Film Forum will ask the public Wednesday is whether its mission is accomplished or whether there remains more to do.

"There are lots of ways to make a new model, but it won't look like what we're doing now," Godine said.